执牛耳

執牛耳

zhíniú'ěr

idiom

Meanings

1 to hold the ox's ear
2 to be the leading authority in a field
3 to take the top spot

Characters

Examples

这家公司在芯片领域执牛耳多年。

Zhè jiā gōngsī zài xīnpiàn lǐngyù zhí niú'ěr duō nián.

This company has been the leader in the chip industry for years.

在当代水墨画坛，他无疑是执牛耳的人物。

Zài dāngdài shuǐmò huàtán, tā wúyí shì zhí niú'ěr de rénwù.

In contemporary ink painting, he is without question the leading figure.

谁能在AI研究中执牛耳，谁就掌握了未来。

Shéi néng zài AI yánjiū zhōng zhí niú'ěr, shéi jiù zhǎngwòle wèilái.

Whoever leads AI research holds the future.

Tips

history

From 《左传·哀公十七年》: when ancient feudal lords swore alliances, they cut off an ox's ear and smeared their lips with the blood (歃血为盟). The lord who held the tray with the ear was the leader of the alliance. 'Holding the ox's ear' came to mean being the top dog.

Stroke Order

执 zhí

牛 niú

耳 ěr